Work Permit Vietnam: New Regulations for Foreign Workers

Vietnam has issued new regulations that simplify the process for foreign workers to obtain permits, shorten approval timelines, and broaden exemptions for specialists in key sectors. The Ecovis Experts at ECOVIS AFA VIETNAM outline what this means for businesses and foreign workers.

In recent times, the system of legal regulations on foreign workers working in Vietnam has been issued in a relatively complete and coordinated manner. This has contributed significantly to attracting foreign workers – especially those with high technical expertise, management and operations experience, as well as investors – to work in Vietnam, helping to address the shortage of highly qualified workers.

However, given Vietnam’s growing appeal to investors, experts, and highly skilled workers in new industries, and professions such as the semiconductor industry, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation, it is necessary to implement more flexible policies and reduce the time taken to grant work permits. This will help to meet the production and business needs of enterprises.

Therefore, the Government has issued Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP (Decree 219), which includes several new provisions regarding the issuance of work permits for foreign workers in Vietnam.

Employers must report labour demand within work permit applications

Under the new regulations, the application dossier for a work permit must include a written statement from the employer explaining the need to employ foreign workers, and requesting the issuance of a work permit. For this process, employers must use Form 03, which can be found in the Appendix issued with this decree.

The time limit for granting a work permit is 10 days

Decree 219 clearly states the following: Within 10 working days from the date of receiving a complete application for a work permit, the competent authority shall consider and approve the request and issue a work permit to the foreign worker. Should the need for foreign labour be disapproved of or a work permit for a foreign worker not be granted, a written response must be issued within three working days of receiving the complete application, outlining the reasons for the decision.

Regarding the authority to issue work permits, the regulations stipulate that the provincial-level People’s Committee has the authority to issue, reissue, extend, and revoke them.

Supplementing cases in which foreign workers are exempt from obtaining a work permit

ND 219 supplements cases of foreign workers confirmed by ministries, ministerial-level agencies or provincial People’s Committees to enter Vietnam to work in the following fields: finance, science, technology, innovation, national digital transformation, and priority fields for socio-economic development, who are not required to be granted work permits.

The above regulation takes effect from August 7, 2025.

The above contents have been researched and summarized by ECOVIS AFA VIETNAM from a range of widely published legal documents and articles. Should you wish to discuss issues in more detail, please contact us via information below:

Trung Pham, Partner, ECOVIS AFA VIETNAM, Da Nang City, Vietnam
Email: trung.pham@ecovis.com.vn